memoir – freckled crab

What I Learned While Housesitting

Friends were going on a 10 day trip and their planned house/dog sitter fell through, so in I swooped. I took Mayhem for a cortisol vacation (it’s a real thing, google showed me) since it’s been nothing but change for her for 8 months.

The home was immaculate. I mean, I was looking for dust and finally found some on day 5. The pup is an older, extremely well behaved Labrador. She poops on command.

And this is what I learned (besides that by comparison my house is filthy):

1. Mayhem does not need 2+ miles a day. Oh she’ll do it, but she’s almost 8 years old and doing so kept her body in a state of stress. Short bits of training and play, with every third day or so getting a long walk is enough.

2. I was keeping myself in a constant state of stress by running these dogs all over the place when they didn’t need it. Yeah, 6 miles a day is a great way to lose weight, but I was physically and mentally exhausted.

3. My husband’s laid back vibe that drives me crazy sometimes was good for the pups at home. Olive was less clingy, while Ruckus and Pepper kept each other fully entertained.

4. I can relax at home and not constantly worry about what dog needs what. They are fine.

I actually sat and read this weekend and didn’t exhaust myself. It was great.

Bad Internet Led To No Point

While we were eating dinner last night, I was watching my puppy in his pen. We have his old crate in there that we started keeping his toys in, and he was fussing with that. In the end, he realized he could get on the crate and that would make him higher up, and possibly closer to us, so he tried, and he did it, and it was a mess.

Much like that first paragraph.

But he did it.

So of course I turn it into something about ME and a life lesson that you’re supposed to learn in your adolescence. That’s why I’m here with you now, at 5:18 am, with only one cup of coffee in me, and fingers that are swollen from a salty dinner, still trying to get into practice of writing and not being afraid of an IMPERFECT MESS. A mess, I tell you.

///so I started this and my internet was lame and now it’s 8 pm and I’m watching Fargo by the fireplace. Hopefully tomorrow I will remember what point I was trying to make///

Late in the Covid game.

I’m gonna just post real quick. I think this is how it has to be. I don’t have the patience to carefully craft prose with perfect links and images, which gets kind of boring, don’t you think?

Anyway, anyone else getting Covid for the first time besides me and my husband?

I’m the culprit. My boss brought it into work and I got it and then it was a week until my husband got it. I’ve been testing positive for 7 days now and it’s annoying. However, I am lucky because it’s not that severe of a case. I’ve still walked my dogs twice a day (sometimes very short walks), and have been able to eat (a little).

It’s given me an opportunity to hang out with the dogs and kinda see life from their POV. I’ve learned that walks are great, but being in the house 90% of the time with the same companions can get boring AF.

The reason this is important is because our pack has doubled in size. We adopted a dog in August and got a puppy in October. More on this later.

Point is – I’ve got a heeler that is policing the new dogs and it’s causing issues. Her bossiness didn’t bother us before because it was fine with our lifestyle, so now we’ve changed the rules and want to curb some of her lifelong behaviors, but ideally do it in an organic way so that it’s not a punishing, stressful training. And also do it quickly.

Don’t laugh at me.

But for realz if you have experience with this type of situation let me know.

Days 21-31

The cone. Is. OFF!

There has been much celebrating, in the form of rolling on the ground, biting ankles, biting toys, scavaging for rabbit poo, and barking just to bark. I think she wanted to burn the cone under the full moon and dance around it.

I was hesitant to take the cone off, but my husband said the stitches were done doing their thing, and most of the healing under the scab was done. It’s nice having a paramedic / EMT spousal unit. It’s like having a reference book you don’t have to carry around. And what am I a reference for? Well, if he is interested in story structure and genre and themes and the hero’s journey, well, he knows who to turn to.

Took the pups on a hike today. A new trail and I was getting quite bored. Trees rocks snow, kaaaaay. Then I met some people coming up the trail and they mentioned caves. Caves? Yes, I will cross the stream twice over slippery, crackling ice to see limestone caves. And we did.

Day 5

I had a funny observation earlier today, but I forgot what it was. I always think I’ll remember, and I never do
Skidded on ice during my drive into work this morning and almost hit a big moving van head on.
Had to change the dressing on Mayhem’s foot because I forgot to wrap it during a pee break. She snapped at me a couple times, but I did it!